Man fatally wounded in Havelock shooting

Havelock Police Capt. David Bratton, right, and Sgt. James Fahnestock, left, stand at the scene where a man was found shot Friday at 228 Cedar Ridge Lane in Havelock. The man was transported by Pedro helicopter to a hospital.

Photo by Drew Wilson/Halifax Media Services

By Drew C. Wilson, Halifax Media Services

Published: Friday, August 1, 2014 at 07:05 PM.

Havelock police have identified the man shot to death in front of his home Friday morning in Havelock.

Gerald Price, 45, was found lying in the grass of his yard at 228 Cedar Ridge Lane. Lt. Brian Woods, of the Havelock Police Department, said Price had been shot several times.

Initial calls about the shooting came into police just after 11 a.m. Friday, including one from the nearby Child Development Center.

Neighbors reported the sound of gun fire near the Cedar Ridge residence. Responding police found the victim sprawled on the grass in the front yard during an intense rainstorm.

Havelock rescue personnel transported Price to Cherry Point air station, and he was then flown by Marine Corps rescue helicopter Pedro to Vidant Medical Center in Greenville where he later died, according to a release from Havelock Police Chief G. Wayne Cyrus.

Police were still at the home Friday afternoon.

“Right now we’re processing the scene,” said Woods. “We’re still in the house. We’ve recovered some projectiles. We’ve recovered some shell casings, some weapons, but we don’t have any motive at this point for the reason for the shooting. We’ve talked to some neighbors. We’re trying to develop some leads and put it all together.

Havelock police have identified the man shot to death in front of his home Friday morning in Havelock.

Gerald Price, 45, was found lying in the grass of his yard at 228 Cedar Ridge Lane. Lt. Brian Woods, of the Havelock Police Department, said Price had been shot several times.

Initial calls about the shooting came into police just after 11 a.m. Friday, including one from the nearby Child Development Center.

Neighbors reported the sound of gun fire near the Cedar Ridge residence. Responding police found the victim sprawled on the grass in the front yard during an intense rainstorm.

Havelock rescue personnel transported Price to Cherry Point air station, and he was then flown by Marine Corps rescue helicopter Pedro to Vidant Medical Center in Greenville where he later died, according to a release from Havelock Police Chief G. Wayne Cyrus.

Police were still at the home Friday afternoon.

“Right now we’re processing the scene,” said Woods. “We’re still in the house. We’ve recovered some projectiles. We’ve recovered some shell casings, some weapons, but we don’t have any motive at this point for the reason for the shooting. We’ve talked to some neighbors. We’re trying to develop some leads and put it all together.

“We believe, based on the scene and the information that we have, that this was a deliberate, targeted shooting. At this point, we do believe that the shooting did occur inside the residence and he (Price) was able to make it outside the residence.”

Woods said police were doing background checks on the weapons found at the scene.

“Right now, we have no suspect,” Woods said Friday afternoon.

Police are looking for a black Dodge Ram 2500 series pickup truck with four doors and no tailgate that was seen by witnesses leaving the area shortly after the shooting happened. The truck was last seen on Webb Boulevard heading toward Fontana Boulevard near Havelock High School.

The driver is described as a black male who was wearing a dark rain jacket and hoodie sweatshirt.

Friday afternoon investigators collected two shirts and a pair of shoes that appeared to have been discarded behind and in front of residences and near the Child Development Center along Webb Boulevard.

Arnetta Bloomer, who lives two doors down from where the shooting occurred, said she was astonished at the shooting because the neighborhood is generally quite.

“It’s just terrible,” she said. “It’s just so close to home. I’m just two doors down. I just hope they find whoever had the nerves to do that at 11 in the morning. Hopefully, this will be a one-time thing.”

Bloomer said Price lived in one half of a duplex, and that his sister and her son lived in the other half.

“I’ve been here for five years and never heard a thing,” said resident Joe Scruggs, who lives three houses away around the corner.

Anyone with information about the shooting can call the Havelock Police Department at 447-3212. Those wishing to remain anonymous can call the confidential tip line at 463-7115 or use the web site at www.havelocknc.us and select police and then tip.